Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from December, 2012

A different consumer, a very different jewelry market

 There is no question that manufacturers and retailers have been contending with difficult product decisions for a couple of years.  Foremost has been the price of gold, which has made made some hot products of the past into things of the past.  An Italian gold chain manufacturer pointed that out to me in describing where his business has gone.  At one time he cranked out tons of gold as machine-made chain, but that has essentially disappeared.  Italy now has perhaps six companies left that are making machine-made chain, and most of that is silver - 90% in his case. OK, one might say, that is a reality, but at least consumers are buying silver chain.  Is that all there is to it?  Exchanging gold for silver, or steel, or titanium, or rubber?  I think not.  No doubt that retailers need to fill price points, and some have stated that silver has been a huge help.  But are more profound changes happening?  No doubt. Unity Marketing recently wrote about their survey of cons